As expected McLaren announced during practice for this weekend’s German Grand Prix that David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen will both return to drive for the team next year. It will be Coulthard’s eighth season and Raikkonen’s second with the Woking based team. Alexander Wurz will also stay on as a test driver.
During the announcement they showed a video on which Mika Hakkinen announced his official retirement from Formula One racing. Hakkinen told McLaren that he wanted to retire at the end of last season but they persuaded him to take a year’s sabbatical before making a final decision.
Hakkinen’s decision was not unexpected as he seemed to lose a lot of his enthusiasm for the sport last year after a couple of potentially serious accidents. On the tape he said that he wanted to spend time with his family and watch his son grow up and that he didn’t think the risks involved in continuing were worth it.
Hakkinen’s Formula One career spanned 11 years, the last nine of which were with McLaren. Prior to that he drove for Lotus for two years alongside Johnny Herbert. During his time at McLaren Hakkinen won 20 races and the Drivers’ World Championship twice, in 1998 and 1999.